Money and the Bible | Personal Finances From the Perspective of Godமாதிரி

MONEY AS LORD, AND THE TRUE SOURCE OF WEALTH

God warns us about having money as our lord and consequently losing salvation because we deny the Lord of Jesus Christ.

When we read the story of the rich man who had an encounter with Jesus, we question why Christ asked him to sell everything he had. Perhaps we will think, would that money not be necessary to Jesus' ministry? But God had taught about that man. As much as he was a good man, since his youth all that foundation was built on the wrong ground, for he had money as lord. Jesus was warning of his salvation when he said, "drop everything, come and follow me." That is, change the lord of your life. On the other hand, we see Zacchaeus's story, another rich man, who also received the invitation, but quickly he decided for Jesus. Unlike the first man, Zacchaeus laid the foundation of wealth understood that money could not be his lord, accepting and receiving Jesus in his heart.

Another account in that story that brings us a reflection is when the text mentions that the rich will hardly enter the kingdom of God and that it is easier to pass a camel through the eye of a needle than to enter a rich man into the kingdom of God. What do you mean? Is it a sin to get rich? Is it better to be poor? The problem is in wanting, not being. That man's behavior of his finances reflects where his heart was, shows that his trust was in riches, not in God.

Can wanting to get rich lose salvation? Yes, it could be the consequence. 1 Timothy 6:9-10 says that those who want to get rich fall into temptation. Being intentional in the pursuit of wealth with greed falls into foolish and harmful desires. These desires bring people closer to the precipice. The devil acts in the one percent, you don't fall overnight but the trap makes you fall when you reach 50% plus one. When we get this percentage, something intense and out of itself is already rooted in the heart, greed. Our actions, our mouths, and uncontrolled desire already reflect this reality. Then come the ruins, bankruptcies, indebtedness, lies, and corruption. This causes the person to swerve from the faith and reject Jesus' Lordship.

In another example of wealth, let's see 1 Timothy 6:17. "Do not be proud, nor place your hope in the instability of wealth, but in God, who gives us everything richly for our pleasure." The source of our wealth is God. He's the owner of all the gold and all the silver and provides us with sustenance for our pleasure, to enjoy with wisdom and balance.

God cares about our finances - let Jesus into your financial life. We often allow Him to enter our entire lives, except in finance. We must be faithful administrators, spend wisely, have full honesty, be generous to others, work with excellence, and diversify our investments. Only then will we achieve true financial freedom in the future.

APPLICATION

Have you allowed Jesus to be the foundation of your financial life? Are all decisions shared with Him? What is the source of your livelihood? There will be your heart.